The Ottawa Senators have seen a lot of players come and go during their rebuild.
Some of them have not only turned the page on their Ottawa days, they've probably closed the book completely on the NHL. 12 ex-Senators have moved to new teams in Europe this summer — either arriving from North America through free agency, or via trades and transfers.
From once-promising prospects to organizational depth guys, these former Senators are looking to revive or extend their careers in leagues ranging from Switzerland to Slovakia, and Russia to Germany.
Here’s a breakdown of who’s gone where:
Goalies
Chris Driedger
A third-round pick by Ottawa in 2012 (76th overall), Driedger never found his footing in the nation's capital, playing just one game in each of three consecutive seasons. He later found brief success with the Florida Panthers and Seattle Kraken. This summer, he signed with Traktor Chelyabinsk in the KHL.
Dylan Ferguson
Ferguson played only two NHL games for the Senators during the chaotic 2022–23 season, when the team used seven different goalies. He’s now signed with HK Nitra in the Slovak Extraliga.
Defensemen
Erik Brännström
Still just 25 years old, Brännström was once seen as the crown jewel of the Mark Stone trade. He never met those expectations in Ottawa and wasn’t re-signed last summer. He’ll look to reset his career with Lausanne HC in the Swiss National League.
Max Lajoie
A 2016 fifth-rounder, Lajoie got a strong early look in 2018, right after the rebuild began, appearing in 56 NHL games for the Sens that season. However, over the next six seasons, he totalled just 21 NHL games. This year, he’ll try his luck with Avangard Omsk in the KHL.
Dillon Heatherington
The former captain of the Belleville Senators (AHL), Heatherington logged 165 AHL games and 12 NHL games with Ottawa. He’s moving to the DEL in Germany, signing with Red Bull Munich.
Philip Roos
A steady contributor for Belleville (68 games last season), Roos never cracked the NHL lineup in Ottawa. He previously played 21 games for Chicago before joining the Sens organization. Roos has now signed with Färjestad BK in Sweden.
Forwards
Chris Tierney
The most experienced name on this list, Tierney played four full seasons in Ottawa and has logged 649 NHL games. After bouncing between Florida, Montreal, and New Jersey, he spent last season with Dinamo Minsk in the KHL. He’s heading to Switzerland to join HC Ambrì-Piotta, the same club Alex Formenton played two seasons for.
Jayce Hawryluk
Hawryluk had 7 points in 11 games for Ottawa so he was here for a good time, not a long time. In recent seasons, he's toured Europe, playing in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Switzerland. He’ll return to Slovakia to play for HKM Zvolen this fall.
Dominik Kubalík
Acquired in the Alex DeBrincat trade, Kubalík posted just 15 points in 74 games for Ottawa. However, he rediscovered his scoring touch last year with 49 points in 52 games for HC Ambrì-Piotta. This season, he’ll play for EV Zug in Switzerland.
Egor Sokolov
A fan-favourite in Belleville, Sokolov appeared in only 13 NHL games over five years. After being traded to Arizona and playing in AHL Tucson last season, he returned to Russia this summer and signed with CSKA Moscow. After thinking for a couple of days that he'd found a place where he belongs, they promptly traded him to Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod.
Jack Rodewald
A KHL regular over the past three seasons, Rodewald has suited up for Kunlun Red Star, Traktor Chelyabinsk, and Admiral Vladivostok. He posted 29 points last season and will remain in Russia now with Salavat Yulayev Ufa.
André Petersson
A 2008 fourth-round pick who played just one NHL game for Ottawa, Petersson has been playing in Europe since 2015. After three years back home in Sweden, he’s now heading to the SCL Tigers in Switzerland.
While none of these players were ever what you'd describe as elite players in Ottawa's organization, it's great to see this group getting fresh starts and continuing to forge out a career in the game they love. We should all be so lucky.
Read the full list of former NHL players on the move in Europe at The Hockey News' International site.
By Steve Warne
@SteveWarneMedia
The Hockey News – Ottawa
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